Sorry, Just Ignore This Fic
by starspangledpumpkin
Summary: Oh, my God, you'll never believe what I just did.


**Prompt: Write about a parallel world where the characters' worst fears come to life.**

**Additional Prompts: [Word] Fire; [Pairing] Tom Riddle/Ginny Weasley; [Song] Shatter Me (mostly inspired by)**

**Challenges:** Gryffindor MC; Slytherin MC; Short Jog; Interesting Times

**Space Address - 2C - Fire**

**Word Count: 1208 (With lyrics)**

**Warning: Victim ends up with abuser, major character death, gaslighting, manipulation, all around bad vibes.**

~o0o~

_I pirouette in the dark_

_I see the stars through me_

_Tired mechanical heart_

_Beats til the song disappears_

_Somebody shine a light_

_I'm frozen by the fear in me_

_Somebody make me feel alive_

_And shatter me_

_So cut me from the line_

_Dizzy, spinning endlessly_

_Somebody make me feel alive_

_And shatter me!_

"Shatter Me" by Lindsey Stirling

Ginny knew that rescuing Sirius was going to be a complicated mission. She knew that there were going to be dangers to face. Now, she was kicking herself. She had spent a year with Tom inside her head, whispering to her, forcing her to act out his schemes like the unwilling, yet faithful, servant she was. It was so easy, too. He had made her see things through that diary of his. Brought her back in time, shown her his worst memories to make her feel sorry for him. Make her care about him. Make her trust him. She had told him all her worst fears and darkest secrets and he had been the understanding friend that she needed.

Why couldn't she have seen sooner that it was a trap? She knew Harry had a connection to Tom and that he was seeing things, why didn't she talk to him about it sooner? Why didn't she beg for Harry to speak to someone who wasn't Kreacher at Grimmauld Place?

Now, they were fighting for their lives deep inside the Department of Mysteries. True, they had members of the Order with them, but it was too much, too fast. Ginny didn't even realize she was retreating towards the empty archway as the Death Eater pushed her back. She fought with a fire and anger. Towards Tom, towards the Death Eaters.

Harry was nearby, fighting alongside Sirius. A determined look set on his face. As much trouble as he got himself into, he always managed to find his way out. Ginny admired that about him. He had risked so much to save her four years ago. She owed him her life.

In her lapse of concentration, Ginny didn't get a chance to block the spell aimed at her. The red light sent her sprawling back.

"Ginny!" Luna cried and ran over. "That's the wrong side! Take my hand, quickly!"

Mutely, Ginny reached out to take her friend's hand, but they passed through each other as if she were made of smoke. Luna's blue eyes were wide with fear. Ginny's breath was sucked out of her lungs as she was pulled farther into the archway. The room disappeared into grey fabric, like a curtain.

She free fell through the grey world, which then turned into a tunnel made of fire. Just as she couldn't stand the heat, she landed in the middle of a dungeon. No… not a dungeon. She knew this place well with the green torches and snake statues. The Chamber of Secrets. Harry was kneeling over her eleven-year-old self. She tried to call out to him, but her voice had not yet returned. He needed to turn around. Why had that brave idiot cast aside his wand?

"She won't wake," said Tom. "There's nothing to be done."

Damn him! Ginny stormed over and tried to throttle Tom, but she passed through him, just as much, if not more so, of a ghost than he was. She hated him. He was as ugly within as he was fair without. Damn him! Damn him! Damn him!

"Why do you care how I escaped?" said Harry slowly. "Voldemort was after your time. . . ."

"Voldemort," said Riddle softly, "is my past, present, and future, Harry Potter. . . ." He began to trace Harry's wand through the air, writing three shimmering words:

TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE

Then he waved the wand once, and the letters of his name rearranged themselves:

I AM LORD VOLDEMORT

Why wouldn't he shut up already? Tom paused and looked at her with a grin. Her blood ran cold. What was he planning?

"There is another way to save her," he said to Harry.

"How?" Harry asked.

"That diary is what is stealing her life force. Open it up. One drop of your blood is all it will take to save her."

This wasn't right. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. He was supposed to fight the basilisk. He was supposed to destroy the diary with the basilisk fang. Fawkes was going to come with the Sorting Hat.

"How do I know you won't hurt her?" Harry asked.

Tom sent another smile towards the older Ginny. "I swear on my life and magic that I will not kill Ginny Weasley."

Harry nodded and opened the diary. Using a stone, he cut his thumb and Ginny could only watch in horror as he crumpled to the ground. Tom's form solidified and he laughed cruelly. Ginny's voice finally came to her.

"YOU MONSTER!" she shrieked.

"Oh, I didn't release the monster," he said. "You did."

Tom strode over to her younger self and rested a hand on her shoulder. She woke up with a gasp.

"Tom… I don't want to do this anymore," she whimpered. "Please, let me go."

"Sweet Ginny," said Tom, using that kind tone of his. Only now could she hear that it was condescending. Mocking. "It's too late. Look at what you've done. You killed Harry Potter."

Young Ginny's eyes widened and tears spilled down her cheeks.

"No, I didn't!" she cried. "I didn't! That was you!"

"The Ministry won't see it that way." Tom stroked her fiery hair. "They will only see what you did. That the great Harry Potter died trying to save a nobody who couldn't leave well enough alone. But I made a promise, Ginny. Come with me and I'll protect you. Nothing is going to harm you while I'm around."

Young Ginny was eating up his words like honey. Ginny knew this, but she couldn't slap sense into her younger self. Only Tom could see her.

"Okay," Young Ginny whispered. "Do you promise?"

"Of course… as long as you do exactly what I say."

As the scene faded, memories that were not her own flashed into Ginny's mind. Tom causing the Chamber to collapse, "accidentally" killing her brother, Ron. Images of her slitting the throats of those petrified and banishing Sir Nicholas' ghost so none of them could speak of the basilisk. Tom stealing her away and using her to act behind the scenes. Yet she was young and easily manipulated, so she grew to see that he was right about everything and was groomed to be his forever loyal second. Britain nearly collapsed under his regime, but the rest of the world didn't fight back. The deaths would be too great.

Tom relished in the discord and in his control over his second. Despite the conflicting memories and feelings… the Ginny that grew older while being manipulated by Tom actually came to believe that he loved her. He certainly acted the part when it suited him, and yet, that was enough.

Ginny was forever trapped in the nightmares she now had every night. Whether it was an alternate reality the archway was showing her, or a version of hell, didn't matter. It was real enough for her.


End file.
